VANCOUVER (AFP) — Filipino Bianca Pagdanganan ended tied for 24th with three others including superstar Nelly Korda Sunday at the close of the CPKC Women’s Canadian Open won by American Megan Khang.
The 25-year-old Pagdanganan carded a 73 on the final day for two-over 290 total at the Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club.
But it was enough for the Asian Games gold medalist to bank $17,308 in one of her few forays in the LPGA Tour.
Khang captured her first LPGA title after 190 starts, defeating former world number one Ko Jin-young in a playoff on Sunday to win the CPKC Women’s Canadian Open.
Khang’s long-sought breakthrough victory came with a par on the first extra hole, the 25-year-old from suburban Boston saying the eight-year wait made the triumph all the sweeter.
“It’s tough to win out here,” she said.
“Eight years is a long time. It’s great to get the first.”
Ko fired a three-under par 69 Sunday while Khang needed a tense four-foot birdie putt at the 18th to shoot 74 and finish deadlocked after 72 holes on nine-under 279.
The playoff began at the par-4 18th as fourth-ranked Ko hooked her tee shot left into a bush beyond a cart path while Khang found the fairway and the fringe of the green.
Ko took a penalty stroke and blasted from the concrete into a greenside bunker, then punched onto the green and two-putted for double bogey, leaving Khang three putts from victory.
Khang’s first stopped inches from the hole and she tapped in the next for the title just before friends raced onto the green to spray her with champagne.
China’s fifth-ranked Yin Ruoning was third on 281 after a 66 with South Korean Kim Sei-young and Australian Hannah Green sharing fourth on 282.
Khang had 33 top-10 finishes since 2016, the most of any player without an LPGA triumph. She won $375,000.
Ko sank a five-foot birdie putt at 16 to match Khang for the lead. Khang sank a tense six-foot par putt at 16 to stay tied but at the par-3 17th, Kang lipped out from eight feet to make bogey, forcing her to sink a four-footer for birdie at 18.
